Pulchritudinous Witch
by KoriHiya64
Summary: Gilbert has lived a long, pleasant life. However, he can't seem to recall any events that occurred in the last ten years. When his wife, Elizabeth, becomes pregnant with his child, the awful memories come flooding back and he's sent to the edge of insanity. Who is this woman named... Natalia? What happened to her and... Why does he love her? Rated M for various reasons.


Prologue

_Deep in a jungle-like forest, hidden under land that shaped into a wave and wrapped in a hug offered by two dead willow trees lived a watermill house about as old as the occupants inside. An eerie warmth emitted from the house, causing steam to produce, the heat clashing with the frozen dew on the grass. Streaks of light from the dimly lit house were reflects off the small stream, the waters calm, unmoving and undisturbed. Nothing pushed the water mill. Not even the wind. In fact, there was no wind at all. There were no crickets or owls that disturbed the silent night. Everything was still as if time had stopped in that area years ago._

_Candle light lit the old watermill house. A bloody red hue enveloped the large room, but it was far from eerie. It was actually quite relaxing for it gave out a sweet smell of apples and cinnamon. As far as furniture went, there were only drawers, tables, bookshelves crammed with biology and small empty cauldrons to decorate this hollow house. There was only a lone chair and it was already in use. It creaked slowly when it rocked, the ancient age of it quite apparent._

_Two delicate feet pushed the chair back, followed by slender legs of porcelain. Slender legs that belonged to a radiant woman with platinum blond hair, eyes dark as the midnight sky, full red lips that could curl into a perfect smile and skin that was immaculate like a doll of porcelain. It was like she was a doll herself; she was made to be beautiful. She sat there, knitting away at a scarf whose end was overdue, yet she did not see anything stopping her from continuing. It was never cold in her house and nothing else to complete at the moment._

_So there the doll waits. She has been waiting for a while now, but she is certain he will return any minute. She smiles and her skin glows from excitement. "My dearest husband..." She would whisper to herself occasionally, which followed with a prayer for his safe return. But she didn't need to worry. He was a strong man... A strong man indeed. She giggled to herself. Never in her life did she expect she would love another being as much as she loved her husband. Ever since she left her sister, the doll felt hollow and dead like the trees that hugged her house. Trees that once bloomed with life now dead from neglect. Then he came along and brought her back to life. She never would have imagined it, she hardly believes it now... But she still believes._

_The smile never left her face since then..._

_The doll dreamt about that man for a minute, leaving this world for her fantasies. Eyes shut to imagine his lean body with well-defined muscles that sculpted him. His strong jaw and prominent nose which she admired. But not as much as his demon eyes that would become soft for her and only her when he gazed upon her being. She was so high in the clouds; she did not come back down until a high-pitched cry brought her to her senses. She was surprised for only a minute, but her smile returned and she left her work to check on her darling baby girl._

_There was a freezing draft when she entered the child's room and the baby shrieked in discomfort for that awful wind. Black feathers with bloody beaks fluttered in a lumber retreat, which annoyed the woman greatly. Those damn crows again. They used to be her friends, but now they constantly bug her family almost to the point to where she will turn them all into rotten toads!_

_"What a bother they've become..." She huffed, quietly making her way to the crib in the corner of the room. "Out of all of the open windows, they always choose yours, my poor baby."_

_The woman swiftly slammed the windows shut, locking it so nothing else could get in. After giving a loud huff to the crows that planted themselves on a branch, the perfect doll drew her attention to the bawling infant. Hands resting on the bars, she smiled lovingly at her daughter._

_"Please... Stop crying, my dearest little girl..." She cooed gingerly to him as she reached out and stroked her chubby cheek._

_After feeling the angelic caress from her mother, the light-haired baby's tears ceased in an instant. Her wails stopped and she opened those beautiful, blessed eyes that glowed in a brilliant scarlet color. Her gaze shifted to her mother's as she pulled her into her arms and a smile spread on both of their faces to such a lovely sight. A playful smirk grew on the mother's when she saw this._

_"Just like your father, you'll smile for any pretty face... You two are so silly." She almost scoffed with a snooty look that made her child laugh. She couldn't help but beam brightly at such an innocent noise. "But I suppose you're MY silly ones."_

_The baby yawned, but her eyes brightened at the sound of fast stomping of bare feet. Turning towards the door, the beautiful mother laid her eyes on her other child of five years age. Skinny and pale, just like his father, with immaculate white hair and eyes that swirled into a toxic purple shade. He stood there, tall for a young man his age, but he was filled with curiosity and worry for his baby sister. "What happened?" He demanded in a voice that seemed too serious for a kid his age. "I heard her cry! Is she ok?!"_

_"Hush!" The mother snapped in a whisper. "Calm down, child. Your sister is fine."_

_A sigh of relief was released and the young boy drew closer ever so slowly. "But why was she crying, mutti?"_

_Smiling sweetly, she gingerly rocked the baby with smooth motions which you could compare to gentle waves on a silent beach. "She was disturbed by the wind. There's no need for worry..." She spoke in such a soft whisper, so soothing and cool, even her son felt a yawn creep out as his exhaustion from earlier came back to him. His mother new this and beamed a bit. "Now please... Return to bed. I will be in soon to tuck you in... Again."_

_Yawning again, the boy nodded and gave a weak "uh huh" before waddling off back to his room. She stared at the door for a little longer, and then turned her attention back at her sleeping baby. A sad smile crept on her face and her eyes lowered. It was her child, yet her child reminded her so much of her sister..._

_..._

_"MUTTI!"_

_Her head shot up, but in an instant a surge of pain erupted in her head and her world went black..._

_..._

_"... Mu... I... ee... Hel-...!"_

_"...Mutti... Plea-... HELP!"_

_An ear-bleeding shriek of her children slapped the mother awake and flames licked her face instantly while her ears echoed bells in her head. She pushed herself out of her baby's room, now missing her little girl from her protective embrace. Windows shattered around her while the startled caws of the crows can be heard outside along with voices of poisonous hate that spat at the woman and her children._

_The children!_

_The mother quickly dashed around the house! She searched every room in blinding speed and turned the entire house over in frantic search of her beloved children! The flames grew more intense around her feet; she was forced to escape the house. Hopefully the children made it outside in time. She rushed to the door and tried to burst out, but it wouldn't open! Frightened, the mother pushed and used her body to break the door open, but it still would not budge. It was blocked! That's when she remembered... She was still being cursed at by angry voices... Voices of villagers._

_"WITCH!"_

_"BURN HER! BURN THIS BITCH DOWN!"_

_"BURN THE WITCH!"_

_No! No, no, no, no! She dashed to the window, which was boarded up with much haste. She could not fit through the openings, but-_

_A horrid sight... She choked on her words when she saw... What has become of her children... Overflowing with dread, devastation, black emotions that crushed her heart into dust and worthless ash..._

_Tears strolled down the beautiful woman's face and she was flooded with the feeling of remorse as the villagers continued to drive metal steaks and angrily bashed away with their hammers into the lifeless bodies of her beloved children... They hung on a wooden pole that was built outside of her house, their faces frozen in a twisted, painful scream. Blood continued to flow from their mouths and stomachs... More seemed to pour out every time a villager struck their corpses and they didn't mind the entrails that dropped out from the flesh... The villagers rejoiced in their death and the burning of the house, but the mother only screamed in agony and despair. She screamed the names of her children. Then screamed the ones who have damned her..._

_Then she cried out for her lover... That never returned..._

**Well, that took forever. Hope you enjoy this new story that I finally have the courage to write. Hopefully it won't turn out as bad as my older ones... Meh.**


End file.
